Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (July 14, 2026)

YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.

Funding news

Avendus Future Leaders Fund III invests Rs 140 Cr in PPFAS

Avendus Future Leaders Fund III (FLF), the private strategies fund of the Avendus Group, has invested around Rs 140 crore in Parag Parikh Financial Advisory Services (PPFAS) through a secondary transaction.

The investment involved FLF acquiring shares from promoters Neil Parag Parikh and Khushboo Joshi. Founded in 1992, PPFAS is an equity-focused asset management company.

FLF said the investment is in line with its strategy of backing market-leading businesses with strong fundamentals and long-term growth potential. The fund also announced that it is on track to achieve its final close at around Rs 1,800 crore by the end of July.

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Built raises $2M in pre-seed round

Footwear startup BUILT has raised $2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Tanglin Venture Partners, with participation from angel investor Bharat Kalia of Lifelong.

The startup is focused on building a natural-movement footwear brand in India, a category that has gained global traction through brands such as Vivobarefoot, Xero Shoes, and Lems, amid growing consumer interest in mobility, functional fitness, and foot health.

Co-founded by Vedant Lamba, who also founded Mainstreet Marketplace, and Vijayant Dhaka, BUILT aims to bring the category to the Indian market, where awareness remains limited and mainstream footwear continues to prioritise cushioning and aesthetics over natural foot movement.

Other news

TCS to power technology at JFK's new Terminal One

The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) has partnered with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to build what it describes as one of the world's most advanced digital airport experiences.

As the terminal's strategic technology and innovation partner, TCS will help create an intelligent, digitally enabled ecosystem designed to improve passenger journeys, streamline airline operations, and enhance efficiency across the terminal.

The collaboration aims to reduce operating costs for airlines while delivering a smoother travel experience for travellers.

TCS will provide end-to-end technology services for the terminal, including passenger processing systems, AI-driven IT operations, infrastructure management, enterprise application support, and cybersecurity.

IITM Pravartak partners with Madhubun Educational Books future-ready learning programmes

IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation has partnered with Madhubun Educational Books and BodhBridge Education to make industry-relevant, future-ready learning programmes accessible to school students and educators across India.

The initiative will offer a range of online courses featuring live interactive sessions with experts, course material, case studies, and access to recorded lectures. The training programmes and learning resources will be available free of cost.

Participants who wish to earn a credential can register for an online certification exam for a nominal fee. Successful candidates will receive a performance-grade certificate from IITM Pravartak. Registrations are open at https://bodhbridge.iitmpravartak.org.in/madhubun.

The first batch begins on August 7, while registrations close on August 3.

The partnership will also deliver programmes through an on-campus school model and immersive sessions at IIT Madras Pravartak, IITM Research Park, and other partner venues.

Meine Electric's fast-charging iron-air battery clears independent validation

Deeptech startup Meine Electric has developed what it says is the world's first fast-charging iron-air battery system for long-duration energy storage , with its technology receiving independent validation from Customized Energy Solutions (CES).

The battery features the company's proprietary Fast Charge Long Discharge technology, enabling it to fully charge in six hours and discharge continuously for more than 18 hours. According to the company, the technology has been independently validated by CES, a US-headquartered energy services and technology company and the parent organisation of the India Energy Storage Alliance.

The validation was carried out by the CES Battery Laboratory using a structured testing protocol to evaluate the battery's electrochemical performance, capacity retention, and operational stability.

Route Mobile to acquire Heltar's AI customer engagement business

Route Mobile Ltd, a communications platform as a service (CPaaS) provider and a Proximus Global company, has signed a business transfer agreement through its wholly owned subsidiary, Route Connect Pvt Ltd, to acquire the identified business undertaking of Heltar Technologies Pvt Ltd.

The acquisition, structured as a slump sale, will bring Heltar's AI-driven omnichannel customer engagement platform into Route Mobile's portfolio.

Fundamento AI appoints Dhiraj Kalra as CBO

Agentic AI communications platform Fundamento AI has appointed BFSI veteran Dhiraj Kalra as its chief business officer (CBO) to lead business growth, strategic partnerships and enterprise expansion across India and the US.

Kalra brings over 25 years of experience across banking, insurance, and fintech. He has held leadership roles at Kotak, Aviva Life, MakeMyTrip, and Paisabazaar, serving in multiple positions, including chief operating officer and chief business officer.

During his tenure at Paisabazaar, he led teams of more than 3,500 customer-facing professionals across customer acquisition, servicing, collections, and people transformation.

The appointment comes as the company expands its presence in the financial services sector. Fundamento recently launched its agentic AI platform for lenders in the US and said it now facilitates more than 10 million customer interactions every month across banking, lending, and insurance.

IIT-Bombay partners with Simplilearn to launch PG diploma in digital governance

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has partnered with edtech platform Simplilearn to launch an online executive post graduate diploma in digital governance for working professionals.

The 24-month programme is designed for professionals with experience in technology, governance, and public policy, and aims to equip learners with a deeper understanding of digital governance and its applications across the public and private sectors.

The programme is open to candidates from diverse academic and professional backgrounds who meet the eligibility criteria, including relevant work experience.

Interested applicants can apply through Simplilearn's website.

Payoneer opens innovation hub in Gurugram

Global fintech company Payoneer has opened a new innovation hub in Gurugram to strengthen its technology development and business operations, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence.

The new centre houses teams across engineering, go-to-market, and workforce management, with plans to expand as the company scales its global operations.

Payoneer said the Gurugram hub will play a key role in advancing its AI capabilities by bringing together engineering, product, data, AI, compliance technology, commercial, operational, and workforce management teams. The centre will focus on building core platform capabilities and AI-powered customer experiences while enhancing the company's enterprise marketplace payout solutions.

The company said the hub will also support the cross-border payment and operational needs of businesses in India and globally.

Cropin and Google Cloud launch OrbitAI

Agritech company Cropin has launched OrbitAI, an agentic AI platform built on Google's AI infrastructure to support autonomous decision-making across the global food and agriculture value chain.

The platform has been trained on agricultural data, including crop behaviour, climate, weather, soil conditions, geography, farming practices, and global supply chains—rather than general internet data. According to the company, this enables OrbitAI to deliver context-specific insights for agriculture.

OrbitAI comprises a network of specialised AI agents designed to assist decision-making across the food ecosystem. The platform provides region-specific, natural-language recommendations to users ranging from farmers to sourcing managers, with insights grounded in verified agricultural intelligence and real-world conditions.

Scripbox elevates Mohankumar Swaminathan to chief product officer

Wealth management firm Scripbox has promoted Mohankumar Swaminathan to chief product officer (CPO), where he will lead the company's product strategy, roadmap, and innovation initiatives. In his new role, Swaminathan will focus on strengthening Scripbox's digital wealth management platform and enhancing the customer experience through AI-led product development.

A member of the company since 2016, Swaminathan has played a key role in expanding Scripbox from a digital mutual fund advisory platform to a wealth management firm serving affluent and high-net-worth investors.

During his tenure, he has led initiatives across product management, customer acquisition, lifecycle engagement, and marketing technology. He also spearheaded the development of the company's in-house marketing automation platform and helped improve digital onboarding and product-led growth.

As CPO, Swaminathan will work closely with engineering, design, and business teams to drive Scripbox's AI-first product strategy and build new solutions tailored to investors' evolving needs.

Coredge Appoints Sourav Jena as CEO

Coredge, the Noida-headquartered sovereign cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) platform backed by Sirius Digitech Limited (SDL), has appointed Sourav Jena as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). SDL is the joint venture between the Adani Group and Infinia Technologies, an IHC Group Company, through Abu Dhabi-based Sirius International Holding.

With more than 14 years of experience in cloud computing, enterprise technology, and artificial intelligence, Jena will lead the company's efforts to expand its sovereign cloud and AI offerings in India and international markets.

Before joining Coredge, Jena held leadership positions at Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Kore.ai, and Ericsson, where he focused on strategic partnerships, go-to-market initiatives, and scaling technology platforms for enterprise and government customers.

(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)